Why is it that nowadays the status quo is go get a test. Ok...well now it's negative then what?

Daughter had all the symptoms and reccomended to get a test. Came back negative but no request to see her back. Are we now relegated to self treat with OTC meds?

Just seems like nowadays whether it is or isn't covid no one cares to treat sick people. If its covid don't bring her in and if its not then alright whatever.

Not a doctor but I agree with you. I have friends who were tested for Covid and sent away without a diagnosis only for their kids to be positive for flu. The doctor they saw wouldn't even test them for flu.

I've also personally experienced taking my child for a test because that was the only way to get him back in school (sent home for fever). The doctor was dead set on it being COVID. He tested negative and then we went straight to the tailgate where he ran around like crazy and never had fever again.

Not knowing what went on when you saw your doc, I can only give the most likely scenario:
Your doc was confident it's a viral illness. Other than flu (and as far as I know, they don't give tamiflu to kids unless they're high risk, but that's not my specialty) , you're not going to change the course of viral infections, so you'd just be treating symptoms. The COVID test in that scenario is mainly to tell you if you need to alter behavior to not give it to others.

The only difference between how you'd handle a viral infection now vs how it would have been treated 2 years ago is doing the Covid test.

What were her symptoms? Prior to Covid would you have taken her to a doctor for them?
Many things are simply viral and must run their course which is likely what the doctor believed. If you wanted her seen, did you call the office back and make an appointment?

If the patient is concerned enough to make the appointment, then the doctor should see them if available. It's customer service 101.

I'm so sick of appointments being changed to telemedicine with no interest in a resolution.

The fact that there is not recommended care other than "chill at home until you need the ER" is a big indictment on many MDs.

That's the protocol for most viruses. If Covid is such a nothingburger, why should it be any different?

cc_ag92 said:

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That's the protocol for most viruses. If Covid is such a nothingburger, why should it be any different?

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If I'm sick with a random virus, or my kids are, I still get to see a doctor and discuss OTC care options and signs to watch out for when I call for an appointment. I know too many that are handed a pamphlet and told good luck. Now you don't even get that. You get to sit in your truck for a nose swab and a phone call from a clerk.

But worse you have specialists like my Dad's cardiologist opting to not see any patients and only doing teledoc for his annual. The excuse was "we don't want Covid spreading in the office". Your a doctor's office, that's the gig. It's insulting.

ETA: Every positive Covid case should be met with a prescription for Monoclonal Antibodies. There should also be walk in clinics that just require a positive test to be approved. It's a proven treatment, which makes every "chill at home" recommendation that much worse.

I don't agree with your last statement for two reasons. One, monoclonal antibodies are difficult to manufacture, extremely expensive, and difficult to deliver. Two, the vast majority of people who get sick with COVID will make a full recovery in a short period of time with rest, fluids, and over the counter medicine.

The two are related. There's no reason to take something that is limited in supply and costs $2,100 per dose and requires an infusion to shorten an illness for people by a few days. Those limited doses need to be used on people who are at high risk. Most people should take DayQuil and rest for a few days and they'll be just fine.

You guys have some bad docs.

KidDoc said:

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You guys have some bad docs.

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I agree with this. We have a 1 year old, so all kinds of random issues he brings home. If something comes up that's more concerning than his standard cough and runny nose we typically email a picture/description to his pediatrician through their app. They typically respond within a couple of hours. Some recent examples:

Kid was coughing, way more fussy than normal, and had a low fever. They asked us to come in. Said it was tonsillitis and told us to continue with our OTC meds as we were but did a strep test to make sure he didn't need antibiotics, came back negative.

Discharge coming from his eye, he's had this before with an ear infection. They asked us to do a teledoc visit, doctor was able to diagnose it as pink eye over the video call, called in a prescription for us and instructed us the easiest way to give a 1 year old eye drops.

He also had a spider bite the swelled up pretty good so we were in communication with the doctors via email to monitor it for a couple days to make sure the swelling resided.

Testing is pointless unless you are an at-risk demographic. I don't understand the incessant infatuation with it. Getting tested has somehow become the therapeutic for COVID. It's the default knee jerk action item at the first sign of the sniffles.

YouBet said:

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Testing is pointless unless you are an at-risk demographic. I don't understand the incessant infatuation with it. Getting tested has somehow become the therapeutic for COVID. It's the default knee jerk action item at the first sign of the sniffles.

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unless you are an at-risk demographic, will be around an at-risk demographic, or are required by your place of work.

Don't get me wrong, there's tons of people who have re-shaped their lives around this thing and will sit in 6 hour drive-thru lines just to know if they are positive so they could do the same thing they would be doing otherwise.

But a lot of the testing is prudent, and it's another knock on how this whole thing has been handled that it's damn near impossible to easily find at-home tests.

YouBet said:

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Proposition Joe said:

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YouBet said:

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Testing is pointless unless you are an at-risk demographic. I don't understand the incessant infatuation with it. Getting tested has somehow become the therapeutic for COVID. It's the default knee jerk action item at the first sign of the sniffles.

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unless you are an at-risk demographic, will be around an at-risk demographic, or are required by your place of work.

Don't get me wrong, there's tons of people who have re-shaped their lives around this thing and will sit in 6 hour drive-thru lines just to know if they are positive so they could do the same thing they would be doing otherwise.

But a lot of the testing is prudent, and it's another knock on how this whole thing has been handled that it's damn near impossible to easily find at-home tests.

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1. "unless you are an at-risk demographic". Agreed, I meant to put this in my post.

2. "will be around an at-risk demographic". Shouldn't matter if you are vaxxed. It's also a convenient, self-fulfilling prophecy for those obsessed with testing. We are all around at-risk demographics every day. Half the population is obese who are an at-risk demographic.

3. "required by your place of work". A ridiculous intrusion that oversteps boundaries, but I acknowledge it as an unfortunate reality in our currently dystopian trending country.

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You may not think it's prudent to test yourself before being around immuno-compromised, elderly or otherwise at-risk people but I'd say most disagree.

Proposition Joe said:

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YouBet said:

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Proposition Joe said:

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YouBet said:

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Testing is pointless unless you are an at-risk demographic. I don't understand the incessant infatuation with it. Getting tested has somehow become the therapeutic for COVID. It's the default knee jerk action item at the first sign of the sniffles.

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unless you are an at-risk demographic, will be around an at-risk demographic, or are required by your place of work.

Don't get me wrong, there's tons of people who have re-shaped their lives around this thing and will sit in 6 hour drive-thru lines just to know if they are positive so they could do the same thing they would be doing otherwise.

But a lot of the testing is prudent, and it's another knock on how this whole thing has been handled that it's damn near impossible to easily find at-home tests.

---

1. "unless you are an at-risk demographic". Agreed, I meant to put this in my post.

2. "will be around an at-risk demographic". Shouldn't matter if you are vaxxed. It's also a convenient, self-fulfilling prophecy for those obsessed with testing. We are all around at-risk demographics every day. Half the population is obese who are an at-risk demographic.

3. "required by your place of work". A ridiculous intrusion that oversteps boundaries, but I acknowledge it as an unfortunate reality in our currently dystopian trending country.

---

You may not think it's prudent to test yourself before being around immuno-compromised, elderly or otherwise at-risk people but I'd say most disagree.

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If this is the new standard, then we can't function as a society. Most of the population falls into an at-risk category. So, I guess we will be in a permanent state of dysfunction at the whims of the next variant.

YouBet said:

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Proposition Joe said:

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YouBet said:

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Proposition Joe said:

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YouBet said:

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Testing is pointless unless you are an at-risk demographic. I don't understand the incessant infatuation with it. Getting tested has somehow become the therapeutic for COVID. It's the default knee jerk action item at the first sign of the sniffles.

---

unless you are an at-risk demographic, will be around an at-risk demographic, or are required by your place of work.

Don't get me wrong, there's tons of people who have re-shaped their lives around this thing and will sit in 6 hour drive-thru lines just to know if they are positive so they could do the same thing they would be doing otherwise.

But a lot of the testing is prudent, and it's another knock on how this whole thing has been handled that it's damn near impossible to easily find at-home tests.

---

1. "unless you are an at-risk demographic". Agreed, I meant to put this in my post.

2. "will be around an at-risk demographic". Shouldn't matter if you are vaxxed. It's also a convenient, self-fulfilling prophecy for those obsessed with testing. We are all around at-risk demographics every day. Half the population is obese who are an at-risk demographic.

3. "required by your place of work". A ridiculous intrusion that oversteps boundaries, but I acknowledge it as an unfortunate reality in our currently dystopian trending country.

---

You may not think it's prudent to test yourself before being around immuno-compromised, elderly or otherwise at-risk people but I'd say most disagree.

---

If this is the new standard, then we can't function as a society. Most of the population falls into an at-risk category. So, I guess we will be in a permanent state of dysfunction at the whims of the next variant.

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I think the assumption is you test yourself before knowingly being in close contact with people like that for an extended period of time (eg. you are going to visit someone in the hospital or visiting your elderly parents of the like).

Few are pushing for you to always test yourself before "going out in public where [at-risk people may be]". If you believe that is what is being pushed by many, then you're simply falling victim to your own journalistic echo chamber.

Feeling fine? Go about your day.
Feeling fine and going to be in extended close contact with significantly at-risk? Maybe think about getting tested.
Not feeling fine? Avoid close contact with people but otherwise go about your business.
Not feeling fine and going to be in extended close contact with significantly at-risk? Get tested (and realize it's not only COVID that is putting others at risk).

Proposition Joe said:

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YouBet said:

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Proposition Joe said:

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YouBet said:

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Proposition Joe said:

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YouBet said:

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Testing is pointless unless you are an at-risk demographic. I don't understand the incessant infatuation with it. Getting tested has somehow become the therapeutic for COVID. It's the default knee jerk action item at the first sign of the sniffles.

---

unless you are an at-risk demographic, will be around an at-risk demographic, or are required by your place of work.

Don't get me wrong, there's tons of people who have re-shaped their lives around this thing and will sit in 6 hour drive-thru lines just to know if they are positive so they could do the same thing they would be doing otherwise.

But a lot of the testing is prudent, and it's another knock on how this whole thing has been handled that it's damn near impossible to easily find at-home tests.

---

1. "unless you are an at-risk demographic". Agreed, I meant to put this in my post.

2. "will be around an at-risk demographic". Shouldn't matter if you are vaxxed. It's also a convenient, self-fulfilling prophecy for those obsessed with testing. We are all around at-risk demographics every day. Half the population is obese who are an at-risk demographic.

3. "required by your place of work". A ridiculous intrusion that oversteps boundaries, but I acknowledge it as an unfortunate reality in our currently dystopian trending country.

---

You may not think it's prudent to test yourself before being around immuno-compromised, elderly or otherwise at-risk people but I'd say most disagree.

---

If this is the new standard, then we can't function as a society. Most of the population falls into an at-risk category. So, I guess we will be in a permanent state of dysfunction at the whims of the next variant.

---

I think the assumption is you test yourself before knowingly being in close contact with people like that for an extended period of time (eg. you are going to visit someone in the hospital or visiting your elderly parents of the like).

Few are pushing for you to always test yourself before "going out in public where [at-risk people may be]". If you believe that is what is being pushed by many, then you're simply falling victim to your own journalistic echo chamber.

Feeling fine? Go about your day.
Feeling fine and going to be in extended close contact with significantly at-risk? Maybe think about getting tested.
Not feeling fine? Avoid close contact with people but otherwise go about your business.
Not feeling fine and going to be in extended close contact with significantly at-risk? Get tested (and realize it's not only COVID that is putting others at risk).

---

This defies reality though. The MSM, the government, and the healthcare establishment are incessantly pushing testing. It is the defacto action item to do for COVID as I already stated. It's not really what I believe; it's a fact.

It's understandable you are frustrated with what the message from the government has been.

But stating "testing is pointless unless you are an at-risk demographic" simply isn't true and you replying with additional qualifiers of "if you are vaxxed, if it weren't for our dystopian trending country, etc, etc..." shows you don't actually believe it to be true either.

You are looking for agreeance that the message has been off and I think many agree with you -- but don't try and make that point by being hyperbolic in an all-or-nothing manner. There's absolutely situations where the non-at-risk demographic may want/need to get tested.

GenericAggie said:

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I didn't know we had so many docs on this forum without the doc tag. Go figure. But hey, you probably watched a bunch of ER episodes.

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If the doc tag only showed up here and on H&F, then maybe I'd get one. I almost did when they announced, but realized it's kind of dumb for me to. I'm not going to get into a lot of discussions here, and, despite the disclaimer, don't want people misinterpreting something I write to be medical advice. Plus, if I say something stupid somewhere else on texags, I'd rather not be tagged as a doc.

KidDoc said:

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You guys have some bad docs.

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Unfortunately, I think this might be the case. I really like the guy and he's been great for me in the past, but I'm having some doubts after this week.

I called to let them know I has Covid for my records. Didn't ask for an appointment, but wanted to discuss treatment options based on my health in case I got worse. Nurse / office manager gets on and tells me to hydrate and go to the ER if it gets bad. Didn't want to talk about supplements or the oral pill or antibodies. It basically felt like "good luck, you're on your own".

I wasn't expecting to go to the ER, but that's not good health care to me. Pretty disappointing.

AgsMyDude said:

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Out of curiosity what would your protocol be if someone under 35, normally healthy, tests positive and is early in the course?

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Well I would tell them to see their doctor because I'm a pediatrician.

But for my teens I would advise sinus flushes, OTC cough/cold, rest, fluids, Rx fluvoxamine if they aren't on psychoactive meds already. If BMI > 85% for age I would pursue monoclonal antibodies which are in very short supply right now.

Fluvoxamine for the Early Treatment of SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Review of Current Evidence - PubMed (nih.gov)